Touchdown Turnaround
by wikipedias
Summary: AU. Oneshot. "I never thought I would die by fright." ClaireDerrick. CamMassie. AliciaDerrick. Early Valentine's Day Gift!fic for Alotta Wormheart.


**Title: **Touchdown Turnaround  
**Summary: **AU. Oneshot. "I never thought I would die by fright." ClaireDerrick. CamMassie. Early Gift!fic for Alotta Wormheart.  
**Inspirations: **Hellogoodbye; Valentine's Day; Lolita (book)  
**Song to Listen to: **Touchdown Turnaround - Hellogoodbye  
**Interesting Fact: **You could think this as an alternate ending to my current, I'm Sorry But I'm Not in Love With You. I know I do. Even though it isn't.  
**Dedicated To: **Wormie: "I AM WAITING FOR THAT REPLY, BETCH!"  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Clique series. All property of Lisi Harrison.

- - - - -

I never thought I would die by fright.

I mean, sure, I thought I would _die _one day but not by being _scared_. Then, it was just stupid. But now? I'm not so sure. It's really creepy to see people french-kiss.

"God, stop making out already!" I blurt out and then curse inwardly. One, I sound like a chick. Two, they both turn slowly to stare at me.

"Oh, _hell no_."

Two parts of seperate golden couples are now merged together by spit and organs.

I think I'm going to be sick.

- - - - -

"Cam? Cam?" Claire's voice called through the phone. I shook my head at the damn thing and hung up, faking bad signal. It hurt her more than it hurt me. She was the one who called anyway.

"Dude, that's low." Josh muttered next to me. "She's your girlfriend, at least _tell her_."

"Tell her what? That I'm cheating on her with her best friend? That I already had _sex_ with said best friend? That _you _caught me making out with her? I'm already in deep enough shit, dude! I don't need more drama!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Derrick walk into the gym and waved him over. "Whattup, ladies?" he said, munching on a banana. The coach sweared at him for coming in late and then for accidentally-on-purpose dropping the banana to the ground.

Josh shook his head disgustedly at me and stalked off to join the jocks playing basketball.

"Screw you, Josh," I called. "It's not like _you'll _ever get laid anyway."

"Okay, did you guys break up or something?" Derrick asked, hands in his shorts pockets. "'Cause I'm good with self-help shit; my mom took me to a psych once."

"Shut up." I went to the trampoline section of the gym and waited in line to have my turn. I may love basketball and art, but, _dude_, I need fun in my messed up life. And jumping randomly is that way to achieve the adrenaline rush.

"Pansy." Derrick commented, still following behind me. I was tempted to chuck him next to Kemp so they could start fighting but that would be even more drama. And I am _really _sick of drama.

"Go to hell, Derrick."

"I know what you did last summer. Eh, last week. Whatever, same difference..."

I stopped in my tracks and some midget slammed into me. "Move, shrimp," I growled and he ran off to his other wimps. "What did you say?" I turned to Derrick.

He was frowning at the midget's back. I think he muttered, "_Wasn't very nice_," but I couldn't be sure. Who cared anyway...

"Der? What did you just say?"

"Oh. Yeah. I saw you and Massie making out behind the cafeteria a coupla days ago...what's up with the PDA, dude?"

Derrick had to be the dumbest guy ever. Here I was, cheating on his girlfriend with his ex-girlfriend and all he could say was something about freaking public displays of _affection_? God, was he a complete dumbass.

"...nothing. I just…argh, why am I even having this conversation with _you_? You're a…"

"A what?"

"Nothing." I realized we were in the middle of the gymnasium and nearly every guy in here were around us, doing some form of athletics. I walked off to the bleachers and waited for the lesson to end, my mood for jumping on rubber fading.

Putting my earplugs into my, duh, ears, I turned my iTouch on. Listening to The Killers latest album, I tried to tune out Derrick's insistent whining about what I was about to say to him.

- - - - -

"Claire!" Layne panted nearby. "God, you run fast!" She ran over to me and leaned on the brick wall.

"Where were you?" I said quickly. "Crap, sorry, I mean _how _are you?"

"Curious. You?" Layne finally stopped panting and reached for her hemp tote. "Fish stick?" She held a half-wrapped pink _thing_ in her hand.

"Ew – what?"

"Something Chris sent me from China. I love it, it's crab flavoured." She took a large bite of the thing and offered it to me. "Twy it." She mumbled, small chunks coming out of her mouth.

I laughed slightly hysterically. At least, _she _was acting normal. "No…um, thank you, Layne."

She sat down behind on the brick ledge and arranged her legs into a 'professional' pose.

"What?" We both said at the same time.

"What-what?" We both repeated and then giggled.

Layne started first. "I meant, why are you standing there and why did you call me so urgently?"

"Cam won't answer my calls." Layne's face fell as soon as I said Cam. She was an avid Cam-hater and didn't understand why I was still with him. "No, Layne, you don't get it – this time, _I want _to break up with him. He's…a dick and I'm sick of it."

Layne smiled. "You saw Massie behind the school, I take it?"

"Yeah…" I _knew _Massie and Cam were cheating on me but I couldn't bring myself to tears or anger or anything, anymore. I was just…apathetic. Just couldn't bring myself to care.

"Do you need break-up songs? I have some good Vampire Weekend ones…"

"Too early, Layne." I smiled slightly.

"Right. Okay. Well, if you need a hug, I'm here."

"Thanks, Layne." I smiled again. Why was I smiling, though, I had no idea. My supposed BF and BFF were cheating on me and I was grinning like...Todd on Christmas Day.

Layne echoed my thoughts. "I'm happy you want it over, Claire."

"Me, too." I decided to change the topic. I was getting sick of all the breaking-up drama. "Anyways, how are you and Josh these days? Any wedding bells along the way?"

Layne gasped. "I'm just sixteen!"

Laughing, I shook my head. "I know, Abeley. I was just kidding."

"I knew that." She huffed. I laughed again. I couldn't help it. Layne-in-Love was so different from Layne-against-boys.

"Anyways, it's lucky we've got a class free, right?" She raised her eyebrows when she saw me squirming. "Claire…"

"I just couldn't take it okay! It was just so…trapping to know they were…you know…_intimate _together…"

"What." Layne asked flatly.

Oh crud. I had forgotten to tell her. Josh had caught Massie and Cam…doing stuff during one of his parties. Layne was going to kill me. She loved to know reasons to hate Cam even more, though she never let it on.

"Um…yeah…Jo – _I _saw them doing second base at Josh's party…heh heh?"

"Claire Lyons, you are going to pay."

I winced and waited for my best friend's wrath at being left out.

"HOW _DARE _YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!"

Oh God.

- - - - -

I hate 'friend-dates'.

Josh put his arm around Layne. She snuggled into him, looking perfectly content, and I glared sullenly at my full plate. Why couldn't _I_ have an amazing boyfriend who took care of me? Why did I have to be the third wheel?

Well, not technically third-wheel 'cause Josh asked Derrick to join us but _still_! Derrick was staring at his plate just like me! He felt like a third-wheel, too!

It_ was_ awkward sitting with him. We _did _use each other to get other people once. I used him for Cam and he used me for getting Massie.

And they both betrayed us. I sighed. We were both two peas in a pod, it seemed like. He was blonde, I was blonde. Our…'significant' others had cheated on us and now that he was wearing contacts, his eyes were blue.

- - - - -

Later, as Layne and Josh said goodbye to us and went off in Layne's truck, I realized I didn't have a ride back home and that it was _way _too early to go back home. Todd and Alicia liked to make out in my room a lot and it was odd enough to see them _looking _at each other.

Sighing again, this time at myself, I turned to really-quiet Derrick. "Der?"

He look up abruptly, his _blue _eyes –I missed his warm brown ones– focusing at me intensely. "Yeah, Claire?"

Seeing those weirdly blue eyes, I said the first thing I could think of. "Why blue contacts?"

Derrick breathed out heavily.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked that! I know, big-mouth Claire and _sorry_!"

"No…it's okay, _Kuh-laire_." He smiled crookedly as he mocked Massie and I smiled. I missed Derrick, I had to admit. While we were 'dating', he was always good for a laugh. Come to think of it...he was _always_ good for a laugh.

A few seconds of silence followed and he spoke first, just as I was about to. "Massie said she liked my brown eyes."

I was about to say "So?" but then it dawned on me. "_Oh_."

"Yeah…"

"Um, Derrick?"

"Hm?"

"Sorry but I need a ride home…"

"Don't be sorry! Yeah, I'll just call Javier to pick us up…" He reached into his pocket to take out his Samsung.

For some weird reason, maybe I was high on something, I stared at his hands. They were so unlike Cam's. Cam's hands were always cramped up or covered in charcoal because of his sketches but Derrick's looked rough and smooth at the same time. Rough, most likely thanks to his soccer practice but, then, smooth and pale…I had to ask.

"Why are your hands so smooth?" I blurted out but Derrick didn't seem fazed by my stupid question; he just continued looking at me.

"Um, Der?"

"Oh, hey, sorry. Yeah, my parents are psycho-neat freaks. They love keeping the house clean and stuff."

"I don't get it…"

"I don't do chores, Claire. Never have."

I gaped at him. I finally found a word to say after the seconds trickled by. "_Unfair_!"

He chuckled and messed up my hair. "I know," he said smugly.

I reached up to stop him, "Hey, hey! No touch–"

Our hands made contacts. I don't know why it seemed like a big deal at that moment, we _had_ held hands before, but this time…it just felt tingly. All electric-y and stuff. Weird.

"Um…" I started intelligently. Our hands were still touching over my head. Don't we look smart to onlookers.

"Sorry, sorry!" Derrick took his hand off. "I just…argh."

"What?"

"I don't hate Massie." He said quickly.

"...so? Neither do I." He was his girlfriend for three years. Of course they would patch it up. Of course.

"But…I thought you did. I mean, she _did _cheat on you with Cam…" Derrick look so confused, I almost missed out the last line.

_What the hell_. Did everyone know?!

"You know?" I asked evenly.

"Claire," he started gently, "Everyone knows."

I sighed and crossed my arms over my hoodie. "I thought as much…"

Derrick stuffed his hands in his jeans. I didn't notice that before. His eyes followed my gaze to see me staring at his legs. "Massie and I broke up."

Oh. So that's why he was wearing jeans. Massie had an on/off somewhat creepy fascination/hatred towards Derrick's choice of legwear.

"I couldn't see her to look so sad, you know? Always staring at my face even though she wants Cam so badly…oh, it just hurt my poor heart."

I scoffed. "_Please_, Derrick, I know you. You are _not _that caring."

"Eh. I thought it would work." He shrugged.

I laughed. "Nice try, Harrington. Next time, though, try crying."

"Good idea, Lyons." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "The next time I try to _tickle you_!" He arched his hands into claws and lunged for me, grinning like a mad man.

As soon as he started reaching for my waist, I began giggling uncontrollably. I was such a weirdo; I always got scared before anything actually happened. But he didn't tickle me. He grabbed my waist and slammed it to his.

_Oh my God._

"Happy Valentine's Day." And he crashed his lips to mine.

- - - - -

I woke up, panting heavily, to the sounds of hail. Looking around frantically, I realized it was 02:34AM and that it was a _freakin' dream_!

I screamed into a nearby pillow. Why couldn't it be _real_. IT WAS SO PERFECT! I screamed into the pillow again. It was as though it was _real_ and it _wasn't_...arrrrghhhh!

After a couple of minutes, I raised my head to the stupid hail. It was _July_, for God's sake! I looked at it closely…strange, it seemed to becoming from the ground up…

- - - - -

Why the hell am I doing this? Oh yeah, you idiot, because it's _Claire_, the girl you realized you were in love with since seventh grade.

I reached for another pebble and hoped to God that Massie wouldn't open the window. Yeah, it was Claire's room but, still! Who knew about what girls did when they were alone…

I chucked the pebble at the window and…oh God, hit Claire in the forehead instead. "Claire!" I whispered-shouted.

"It's okay!" She whisper-shouted back. "I'm okay, Der!"

"Good." I said, relieved.

"Why are you here?" she whispered.

I gulped and let it out. "Happy Valentine's Day, Claire!"

- - - - -

**Author's Note:**  
Haha, please don't kill me! You all know the ending anyway...  
If anyone noticed how the personality changes and stuff, I'm ecstatic.  
Get this, _I actually tried to use my literature knowledge. Mr. Poo, I mean Paolo, would be so proud!  
_Early V-Day fic for no reason, by the way. And most likely my last thing to FF, for a while.  
It's getting...tedious? I dunno but yeah.  
( I will continue this! There will be an epilogue! Just not now... :P )  
Anyways, Josh was the first point of view you saw...


End file.
